, 1887-09-15
The University.

The following from this mornings
P.-L seems to hit the nail square on
head:
The Methodist Conference has re-
ferred the university matter to com
nittee consisting of the bishop of
Minneapolis, the bishop of Denver,
the bishop of San Francisco and the
Reverend Messrs. j. +. Devore, T.
w. 10y, Isaac Dillon and d. G. Le~
Sourd. This committee has power
to receive and accept propositions
concerning the university, to locate
the Institution, and, practically, to
exercise full powers IN regard to it.
One year ago the Conference de-
cided to locate the university at Port
Townsend upon certain conditions.
1t was big undertaking for them,
but they went to work with a deter
mination to succeed, which challenged
general admiration. The Post Intel
Egencer admired their pluck, and did
what it could to aid them in their eff
forts. 1t did so simply because it
felt that they deserved success.
1t IS not to be supposed that the
people OF Port Townsend would have
gone to work as they did if the uni
versity had been put up at auction
with the understanding that it would
be located in the city whose people
would give the largest amount of
money. Had such a proposition been
made, the people of Port Townsend
would have considered themselves
out of the contest. There are larger
and wealthier cities than Port Town
send on the Sound and it would have
been folly for city of its size to at
tempt to bid against its larger neigh
bors. But no such proposition was
made. The people of Port Townsend
We're simply told that they could have
the university if they would SUBJ
scribe certain amount of land and
money. They went manfully to work
to fulfill the conditions. Their eff
forts cost them time and money, but
they succeeded. They succeeded SO
well that had not another city ap-
peared with Il larger donation, the
Conference would unquestionably
have considered the conditions OF the
promise fulfilled and would have or
dered the establishment of the uni
versity IMPORT Townsend. In the
meantime, however, other proppsi-
tions were made, and the Conference
refused to give to Port Townsend
that which in the opinion of the Post
IntelIigencer, as we'll as that of the
general public, her citizens had fairly
earned.
The Post -Inteliigencer has not
word to say against Tacoma as 10
cation for the university. It has not
word to say against the people of
Tacoma for endeayoring to secure it.
1t advocated the claims of Port Town
send before any other city was men,
toned in connection with the in
stitution because it believed that the
people of that city deserved success,
and it advocates the claims of that
city now because it believes that they
have fairly succeeded.
1t is to be hoped that the committee
in whose hands the matter has been
placed will rectify the error made by
the conference, and locate the uni-
yersity at Port Townsend in accord
ance with the promise originally
made. The Pest-IntelHgencer be.
lieves that this will be the action of
the committee because it has conf
dence in the good intentions of the
gentlemen who compose it. OF
course, it goes without saying that if
the university were to be given to
the highest bidder, Seattle, the
largest and wealthiest city of the ter
ritory, could easily secure the prize.
In the opinion of the Post-IntelH-
geRcer, however, and it believes in
that of a vast majority of the people
of Seattle, there can fairly be no
competition in this matter. The peo-
pie of Port Townsend have complied
with the conditions of the promise
made by the conference one year ago,
and they should receive the reward
of their labor and generosity.